What’s the GED?

The General Educational Development (GED) is the only high school equivalent credential recognized in all 50 states. Test takers prove their academic skills and knowledge in the basic subject areas of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.

Many schools will accept the GED test certification for entrance into a college or university program if you GED test scores are at least equivalent to those of recently graduating high school seniors.

GED Scoring System

The GED has two score levels:

GED Standard Score: Ranges from 200 to 800 and compares your performance in a content area to the performance of a graduating high school senior. The average score is 500 for each content area, but a minimum of 410 is required to pass.

Percentile Rank: Ranges from 1 to 99 and indicates the percentage of graduating high school seniors who earned scores at or below your test score. For example, a percentile rank of 54 means that 54 percent of graduating high school seniors earned your score or lower.

In order to pass the GED you must score at or above the level where 60 percent of graduating high school seniors score on the test. You can find additional information on your state’s passing standards on the GED state policy page.

When, Where, How?

The GED test is administered year-round at more than 3,400 testing centers worldwide.

The cost of the test differs from state to state. Each subject is paid for individually and is around $30 per subject in most states. If you do not pass, a discount is offered to retake the test.